Wagon-tongue support.



J. HARRIDGE.

WAGON TONGUE SUPPORT. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15,1909.

Patented Jim 10,1911.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN HARRIIDGE, OF SEWARID, KANSAS.

WAGON-TONGUE SUPPORT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN HARRIDGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seward, in the county of Stafford and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lrVagon-Tongue Supports, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements in devices of that type for use in sup-porting the tongues of vehicles in order to relieve the draft animals of the weight of the same, and the invention has for its object an improved device of this character which may be readily applied to farm wagons or similar vehicles and which is arranged to yieldingly support the tongue and is susceptible of being quickly and conveniently adjusted to sustain the same at different elevations according as desired.

lVith these and other objects in view aswill more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions and arrangements of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe and then point out the novel features of in the appended claim.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the application of my invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof; and, Fig. 3 is a side elevation.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawing by the same reference characters.

My improved wagon tongue support consists essentially of a flexible brace that in the present instance embodies a chain section 1 which is of any suitable length and which is connected at one end to a coil spring 3. The link at the opposite terminal of the chain section is passed through an opening 4 formed near the middle point of a spring clip 5. A bolt 6 is passed through registering openings in the extremities of the clip in order to draw the same together. Connected to the opposite end of the coil spring 3 through the medium of a link 2 is a ring 7 Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 15, 1909.

Serial No. 502,233.

on which are loosely mounted eyes 8 formed at one end of rods 9. At their other or free ends these rods are returned to constitute hooks 10 which face in the direction of the length thereof.

In the practical use of the tongue support, the same is applied to the wagon, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the clip 5 being placed upon the wagon tongue 11 and clamped in longitudinally adjusted position thereon by tightening the bolt 6. The rods 9 extend rearwardly in divergent relation with the hooks 10 taking over a cross rod 12 that is arranged at the front end of the vehicle and extends between the sides 13 thereof in order to retain the corresponding end gate 1-1- in place. The hooks are confined between the wagon sides 18 and cleats 15 secured on the front face of the gate, such an arrangement being advantageous in that it insures against the hooks sliding on the cross rod 1:2.

From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be apparent that the invention serves to sustain the wagon tongue 11 in such a manner as to relieve the draft animals of the weight thereof, while by virtue of the coil spring 3 the support is rendered capable of yielding to compensate for the jolting of the ve hicle when traveling over rough ground. By shifting the clip 5 longitudinally on the tongue, the latter may be supported at different elevations according as desired.

Among the many advantages in this article, attention is particularly directed to the fact that it is capable of being quickly applied to the wagon or detached therefrom, that it embodies to a marked degree the characteristics of simplicity, durability and efficiency, and that it consists of comparatively few parts which may be easily and cheaply manufactured and readily assembled. The rods 9 are preferably constructed to yield under tension and for this purpose are each constructed in two parts and provided between the adjacent ends of said parts with a coil spring 16.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

In a tongue support, the combination with a wagon body having a forward end-gate with spaced vertical cleats, a cross-rod car- Patented Jan. 10, 1911.

9 seems ried by the body to retain the end-gate in for adjustable engagement upon the crossposition, and a tongue extending outwardly rod outwardly of the cleats. 10 from the Wagon body, a clip adjustably dis- In testimony whereof I aifix my signature posed upon the tongue, a yielding brace sein presence of two Witnesses.

cured at one end upon the clip, a ring car- JOHN HARRIDGE. [1,. s]

ried upon the opposite end of the brace, and Witnesses:

a pair of yielding rods hinged upon the HIKE S'rRoBB,

ring and having hooks upon their outer ends CLARENCE E. SMITH. 

